In the Night Garden… | |
---|---|
Created by | Andrew Davenport |
Developed by | Ragdoll Productions |
Starring | Holly Denoon, Rebecca Hyland, Nick Kellington, Andy Wareham, Elisa Laghi, Justyn Towler, Isaac Blake |
Narrated by | Derek Jacobi |
Music by | Andrew Davenport |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of episodes | 100 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Producer(s) | Andrew Davenport and Anne Wood |
Running time | 30 minutes approx. |
Production company(s) |
Ragdoll Productions (2007–2009) BBC Worldwide DHX Media (2013–present) |
Distributor | BBC Worldwide |
Release | |
Original network | BBC (as part of CBeebies) |
Original release | 19 March 2007 – 6 March 2009 |
Chronology | |
Related shows |
Teletubbies Boohbah |
In the Night Garden... is a BBC children's television series, aimed at children aged from 1 to 6 years old. It is produced by Ragdoll Productions. Andrew Davenport created, wrote, and composed the title theme and incidental music for all 100 episodes. It was produced by Davenport and Anne Wood, the team that also co-created Teletubbies. The programme is narrated by Derek Jacobi. It is filmed mostly in live action, and features a mix of actors in costume, puppetry and computer animation. The characters include Iggle Piggle, Makka Pakka, Upsy Daisy, the Tombliboos, the Pontipines / the Wottingers, the Haahoos, the Ninky Nonk and the Pinky Ponk.
The series was announced in October 2006, and twenty episodes were first broadcast in 19 March 2007. Two series were made, with 100 episodes in all. The BBC confirmed in 2010 that it would not be commissioning another series. It took £14.5 million of the show's budget to produce it.
The program's creators have said that it is designed to relax and entertain its intended audience of one to six-year-olds.
The programme features a large cast of colourful characters with unusual names who live in a magical forest scattered with large daisies and brightly coloured pompom flowers. The characters mostly speak short, repetitive phrases and each has their own special song and dance. The garden is a sunny, colourful environment and the music is jaunty and music box-like. Producer Anne Wood said:
Each episode starts with a different child in bed, while the narrator introduces the episode. The scene cuts to Iggle Piggle, in his boat, traveling to the Night Garden. Then the camera pans up to the sky and zooms in, followed by blooming flowers. After the title appears under a hedge, either the Ninky Nonk or the Pinky Ponk appears. The episodes end with one character receiving a bedtime story, which is generated by the magical gazebo that sits at the centre of the Night Garden. This story is a summary of the plot of the episode. Sometimes the characters all dance together under the Gazebo.